Illuminating device for handbags



Sept. 17, 1940. E. w. BURNS 2,215,320

.ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR HANDBAGS Filed Oct. 4, 1939 -my a ATTO R N EYEPatented Sept-l7, 1940 .um'rao sT TEs PKTENT OFFICE This inventionrelates to illuminating devices, and its general object is to provide adevice in the form of an attachment primarily designed for ladieshandbags and the like, for illuminating the interior thereoLthe deviceacting in the capacity of a flashlight, but is constructed andassociated with the bag in a manner whereby the device is automaticallyilluminated upon the opening of the bag and extinguished when the bag isclosed.

A further object is to provide an illuminating device for handbags andthe like, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture,can be easily removed and applied with respect to the bag, and it isextremely efficient in operation,

use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to beherego inafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingand' specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawing whereas in like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my device within a handbagand the position assumed by the bulb carried switch means for renderingthe same active, to illuminate the bag when open.

Figure 2 is an end view of the bag illustrating the device in dottedlines and the position assumed by the bulb carried switch means forextinguishing the same when the bag is closed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through the bag and the devicemounted therein, with parts in elevation.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the bulb carriedswitch means of my device with parts in elevation.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A indicates a ladyshandbag having the usual pivoted two part frame for the mouth thereof, acatch for securing the mouth in closed position, and handles secured tothe frame, all of which form no part of the present invention which liessolely in the illuminating device for the interior of the bag.

The illuminating device includes a bulb carried 'switch meansconstructed to provide a body in the form of a cylindrical housing Ihaving one end closed by a wall 2, and the opposite end may be open asshown, but in any event is preferably beveled as at 3 tofollow theinclination of a side wall of the bag, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and3. Mounted for slidable movement in the housing I and in loose fittingassociation therewith,- is a relatively thick disk like block 4 ofinsulating material having a headed contact member 5 extending centrallytherethrough, as clearly shown in Figure 4. l

The housing is provided with diametrically opposed slots 6 extendinglongitudinally thereof for a portion of its length and disposed withinand through the slots are the inturned ends of arms I of a bail-shapedpull element that includes a loop providing an eye 8 in the bightportion thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 4. Theinturned ends providetrunnions 9 joumaled in the block 4 for moving the same against theaction of a coil spring Ill sleeved about a threaded socket ll fixed toand extending inwardly from the wall 2 for receiving the shank of aflashlight bulb l2, the spring engaging the wall 2 and the block fornormally holding the head of the contact member 5 spaced from thecontact member I3 of the bulb, but it will be obvious from Figure 4 thata pulling action upon the bail shaped element will result in the headengaging the con-.

tact member 93 for closing the circuit to the bulb.

The bulbv carried switch means is detachably secured within the handbagin a manner to bridge the front and rear .walls thereof, and for. thatpurpose, the housing has secured to the open end thereof a right angleddisposed pin member It and a catch i5 for the pin member. to connectthat end of said means to the lining of one wall, while the opposite endis connected to the lining of the other wall by an elastic strand l 6having its ends connected respectively to an eye 8 and a safety pin ll.v

A shade 18 may be provided for the bulb for directing the rays of lighttherefrom-downwardly within the bag, as indicated in Figure 1, and

the shade includes a reduced attaching portion fixed to the wall 2 inany suitable manner, for the disposal of the body of the bulb.

The battery casing for my device, is best shown in Figure 3, andincludes a cylindrical body l9 having threadedly secured to the endsthereof caps 20 and 2| respectively, the cap 20 having secured toits-inner face, a ring 22 of insulating material, while the cap 2| has adisk 23 of insulating material secured to its inner face.

The battery casing is of a size to receive the usual pencil typebatteries 24, and threadedly mounted in the cap 2|) is a headed screw 25enshade about the' ga'geabie with the central contact member of one ofthe batteries, to act as a manual switch for opening and closing thecircuit to the bulb carried switch means, through the mediumofconductors 28 and 21. The conductor 2i has one end v fixed to thecontact member 5 and its opposite end to a headed contact membercentrally disposed within the disk 23 in the path of the base electrodeof the other battery, as shown in Figure 3, while the conductor 21 hasone end fixed to the housingl and its opposite end to the cap 2|.

I preferably provide a strip of material 29 shown in Figure 2, the partsof the bulb carried switch means are in normal position or in otherwords, the coil spring I holds the contact member 5 in spaced relationwith respect to'the contact member I3, thusthe circuit to the bulb isopen. However, when the bag is opened, the block 4 is directedtoward-the bulb against the action of the coil spring It for disposingthe contact member 5 in engagement with the contact member I3, andthereby closing the circuit for illuminating the bulb and consequentlythe interior of the bag. It is of course understood that the manualswitch which includes the headed screw 25 is closed at all times, duringthe use of the bag.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of theinvention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction andin the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided thatsuch changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric illuminating device for a lady's handbag includingopposed walls movable toward and away from each other upon closing andopening said bag, and comprising a housing having a closed end, meanssecured to the opposite end for detachably connecting the housing to oneof said walls, a light bulb mounted in and electrically connected to theclosed end, switch means for the light bulb and engageable with thecontact means thereof, a spring between the closed end and the switchmeans for normally holding the latter spaced from the contact means, asource of current in circuit with the housing and the switch means,means for connecting the switchmeans to the other wall and including abail like member having trunnions mounted in the switch means, andelastic means connected to thebail like member.

2. An electric illuminating device for a lady's handbag includingopposed walls movable toward and away'from each other upon closing andof the bulb, a coil spring between the closed end and the block fornormally holding the contact means of the latter spaced from the contactmeans of. the bulb, a source of current in circuit with the housing andthe contact means of the block, a bail shaped member including trunnionsmounted in the block, elastic means connected to the bail shaped member,and a pin for attachment to the other wall and connected to the elasticmeans.

3. An electric illuminating device for a lady's handbag includingopposed walls movable toward and away from veach other upon closing andopening said bag, and comprising a substantially cylindrical housinghaving a closed end and a beveled end, pin means secured to the beveledend for detachably connecting the housing to one of said walls, a lightbulb mounted in the closed end, a shield for the light bulb, a block ofinsulating material slidably mounted in said casing and the latterhaving diametrically opposed slots extending longitudinally thereof, acontact member carried by the block and engageable with the centralcontact member of the bulb, a coil spring between the closed end and theblock fornormally holding-the contact member of the latter spaced fromthe bulb contact member, means for moving the block against the actionof the spring for disposing the block contact member in engagement withthe bulb contact member, means for detachably securing said block movingmeans to the other wall, a casing for disposal within the bag, batterieswithin said casing, a conductor connected to the block contact means andthe batteries, a conductor connected to the casing and the housing, anda manually operated switch mounted in the easing for controlling thecircuit to the conductors.

EARL W. BURNS.

